FAQs

What do I bring?

Your bike, and the clothes, helmet and shoes you cycle in . We have windtrainers and tools including accurate tension wrenches to perform your bikefit. If you know your bike has any “out of the ordinary” parts that require special tools, please bring these. If you are having a bikefit for an injury please bring any relevant scans/ referrals you may have. We work in a professional physiotherapy clinic so would really appreciate if your bike and gear is reasonably clean and in good working order. If you are thinking of making any significant modifications to your bike such as adding tri bars or new cleats, please do this prior to the bikefit appointment. We will adjust them for you but want to make sure we can spend our time together giving you a great fit and advice.

How is Star Physio bikefit different to other bikefits that I have had?

Star Physio is the only place in Western Australia who uses the world class Gebiomized pressure analysis technology. This combined with our high speed video analysis system gives us the best technology in the world for accurate bikefit. Most of the other bikefit systems available are based around outdated, disproven and inaccurate position measurement. We regularly “refit” clients who have not had success despite paying good money for other bikefitting services.

In addition, all of our fits are undertaken by expert physiotherapists who are part of an international group of bikefit professionals. A common fault we see when re-fitting clients is that the person initially providing the bikefit was not a health professional and was unable to diagnose the problem or understand the factors leading to pain in the cyclist.

The most common fault that we see in “re-fits” is that the cyclist’s saddle is positioned too high. Evidence shows us that side on knee angle analysis often under estimates the actual knee angle and is unable to account for movement at the pelvis leading to the saddle position being significantly too high. This is a common cause of lower back pain, saddle pain and knee pain in cyclists.

The other common fault is bikefits conducted using the KOPS position as a guide for saddle position. Plumbobs as well as laser and camera measurements in Retul and BG/Specialized fit systems are common examples of this. This looks at the saddle fore-aft position and has been completely disproven as important in the bikefit process and significantly limits the bikefitters ability to find the ideal position for the cyclist. There are plenty of cyclists who will ride comfortably in a “KOPS” position but it is important to understand that cyclists can be moved well out of this position to find their ideal position.

What about Retul and Similar Computerised Bike Fit Systems?

The manufacturers of Retul are the first to acknowledge that their system is not a bike fitting system, but a measurement system. In the right hands these are nice measurement tools, but a good fit still relies completely on the person performing the service. Unfortunately there are errors associated with trying to place markers on the skin over odd shaped and sized bony points and these errors can be multiplied through a computer if not accounted for, and the user may not be trained in identifying your individual characteristics and challenges to the “perfect fit”.

Physiotherapists are highly trained in anatomy and biomechanics and are the ideal professional to assist you in finding the best position to ride more efficiently and minimize your risk of injury. At Star Physio we combine these skills as highly trained physiotherapists with additional skills specific to cycling with the best cycling analysis equipment in the world.

We use a 60FPS high speed video analysis system with pressure analysis at the saddle and feet where appropriate to take measurements, compare, and to illustrate our thoughts and plan during a fit so that our physiotherapists can interpret this information to assist you in finding a great position on the bike. One of our bikefit professional physiotherapist’s- Kate Luckin-has trained and worked with Retul and has first-hand experience at the problems that can occur in inexperienced hands due to the narrow position margins that the system allows for.

What if my bike uses a through axle system?

More and more bikes, particularly with the rise in use of disc brakes, are using through axles rather than the traditional “quick release” system. While this is a bit of challenge to get on a trainer for the purpose of bikefit, Star Physio have a range of adaptors and can fit almost every bike on to our fitting platform.

If by some chance you already have an adaptor for your bike for use on a trainer, please bring it along to your fit!

I want to buy a new bike. Can you advise me on what bike/frame size I should get?

We love bikes and are generally up with the latest in technology and most bikes on the market. We also have a great network of friends in bike shops who will really look after you once they know you are a Star Physio client! Due to the dynamic nature of cycling and the many factors that affect how you ride a bike (including flexibility, previous injury, ankle pedalling angle, spine shape), we need to see you on a bike (even your old one or a borrowed one) and assess your cycling and injury history to give you the best advice. We can then discuss your cycling goals and bike “dreams” and have a look at some good options including sizing and geometry for your ideal bike. Please book a professional physiotherapy bikefit after which we will give you a good indication of the measurements and position your new bike should be in. Your shop will be able to set up your new bike for you with the measurements we provide and then we will only require a 30 minute review for a fine tune once you have settled in to allow you to achieve your cycling goals with minimum injury risk.

What about bikes with integrated seat posts (ISPs)?

Due to warranty issues, we do not cut ISPs. We would prefer to measure you up on a similar bike with adjustable post and then advise your bike shop of the height to cut the post at. Static measurements are inaccurate and do not take into account your riding style/ technique and can lead to costly mistakes. Most of the good bike shops can lend you a similar bike (if you don’t have one)for the day to guarantee cutting the post at the right height. We will then just require a 30minute consultation for the fine tune fit of the new bike once you have spent a few weeks getting used to it.